The Publix supermarket chain has removed foods for fruits and vegetables that were sold in eight states because products tests found high levels of lead, according to federal health officials.
Publix withdrew the 4 -ounce green pear, kiwi, spinach AND Guisante baby food bags are sold at more than 1,400 stores.
The bags were produced by Bowman Andros, a French company with a manufacturing plant in Mount Jackson, Virginia, according to the company’s website. Publix issued the voluntary retirement on May 9, but it was not added to the US Drug and Food Administration. Memory list Until late on Thursday.
The potential pollution was marked by officials in North Carolina, the state that first identified A 2023 lead poisoning outbreak Linked to contaminated apple puree bags that became ill to more than 500 American children.
Routine sampling of baby food bags found lead levels in 13.4 parts per billion, according to North Carolina Agriculture officials. That exceeds the recommended limit of the FDA of 10 parts per billion for these products for babies and young children.
Publix said that all potentially contaminated products have been eliminated from store shelves. No diseases have been reported, said the company. Customers can return the bags to local stores to obtain full refund.
This is the second memory of the baby food bag due to the possible lead pollution in two months. In March, Objective remembered More than 25,000 packages of your good store AND Collect a pea, zucchini, curly collar AND Thomillo vegetable puree due to high levels of lead.
North Carolina collaborates with the FDA to perform food products routine tests, the authorities said.
In 2023, state health officials investigated lead poisoning reports in four children who consumed the puree of Wanabana apple cinnamon fruits. These findings led to the detection of a national outbreak linked to the bags, which were sold widely in Dollar Tree and other stores. The evidence showed that they contained lead at levels 2,000 times higher that the recommended maximum level of the FDA, as well as chrome.
Federal health officials finally identified 566 cases of confirmed, probable or suspected cases of lead poisoning linked to the bags in 44 states.
The leading poisoning program of childhood centers in the US diseases and prevention investigated the apple puree outbreak and coordinated the state and federal response. However, the program was eliminated in April As part of federal fund cuts under the Trump administration.
CDC officials did not say if the agency would respond to a similar outbreak now. A spokesman said that the agency is aware of food retirement for Publix, but has not been asked to help with any investigation.
There is no safe level of lead exposure, according to CDC. While heavy metal is toxic to people of all ages, it can be especially harmful to children, causing damage to the brain and the nervous and slow system growth and development.
Heavy metals such as lead can enter food products from soil, air, water or industrial processes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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